Chapter 166: The World's Greatest Swordsman, Shane!
This time, there were no mistakes.
It was Kuina's wanted poster, for sure.
This new photo had perfectly captured the moment the black-haired, high-ponytail swordswoman had drawn her blade.
Her sword was as white as snow, her black hair flying, and the sharp intent in her eyes almost seemed to leap from the page.
Brannew spoke, his voice solemn. "Kuina, proficient in both types of Haki, with extraordinary swordsmanship. She single-handedly held off Mr. Gion, fighting him to a standstill for over an hour, barely at a disadvantage."
"Gentlemen, you must understand, Mr. Gion is an Admiral candidate! This is a terrifying level of strength!"
"Considering that her swordsmanship in this battle was different from before, with every move as fierce as a gale, the staff office has suggested changing her epithet to 'Gale Swordswoman'!"
"And her new bounty has been set at—777 million Berries!"
A bounty of nearly eight hundred million.
This was a terrifying number.
Even among the top commanders of the Four Emperors, more than half did not have a bounty this high.
But… just the feat of being able to fight an Admiral candidate to a standstill was worthy of this bounty.
The meeting room was filled with smoke, and for a time, no one questioned it. Brannew immediately moved on to the next topic. "And finally, the core issue of this meeting!"
"—that man! The true madman and ambitious one! The captain of the Curtain Call Pirates, with a former bounty of one billion Berries, the Tachi Swordsman, Shane!"
Brannew took the last wanted poster and slapped it on the whiteboard!
The photo showed a close-up of Shane drawing his tachi and cutting off Rayleigh's arm.
In the pouring rain, the handsome, black-haired young man was walking forward, his cold expression tinged with a hint of mockery, like a god looking down on mortals.
"Severing the arm of the Dark King, Rayleigh, and repelling Admiral Borsalino, this vicious criminal, who has repeatedly challenged the balance of the seas and has shown his arrogant nature to the world, his strength is now, without a doubt, close to the highest level in the world!"
"And the former Celestial Dragon, the Warlord Donquixote Doflamingo, also died at his hands not long ago!"
"The title 'Tachi Swordsman' now seems too ordinary and no longer befits his status. After several discussions, the staff office, with the suggestion of Vice Admiral Tsuru, has finally come up with the most suitable epithet. His new epithet is—"
"—the World's Greatest Swordsman, Shane!"
At this, Brannew couldn't help but look at Tsuru with a hint of admiration.
The other high-ranking Marines also quickly reacted, and a murmur went through the room. The more they discussed it, the more they felt that this epithet was a brilliant move.
A brilliant scheme!
Among all weapons, the sword was king.
On this sea, countless powerful swordsmen dreamed of taking the title of "World's Greatest Swordsman."
To give him such a title, just as he had left Paradise and was about to enter the New World, was to make him a target for everyone.
Countless swordsmen would see him as a thorn in their side.
Perhaps even the true "World's Greatest Swordsman," Hawkeye Mihawk, would be stirred…
That guy, though nominally a Warlord and an ally of Marine Headquarters, was rarely seen and had never even attended the recent Warlord meetings.
If, with just a simple, free epithet, they could get him to come out and hunt down Shane… that would be a huge win.
Under the admiring gazes of the others, Tsuru's expression remained as calm as still water. She just took a sip of her sake.
"It seems no one has any objections. Then this epithet is settled. As for his bounty, the current preliminary amount is—"
Brannew took a deep breath and slammed his palms on the table. "1.98 billion Berries!"
...
Wano, Onigashima.
"What do you mean, this newspaper has something I'm interested in and I have to read it?"
A massive figure, who had just been woken from a nap, rubbed his red eyes and looked down at the throne, his face grim.
"Does such a thing even exist? Hey! Queen! You know the price for waking me from my nap, don't you?!"
"It's just a hit with your kanabo!"
Queen said with a fawning smile, handing over the newspaper. "Boss Kaido, you'll understand when you see it."
Kaido yawned and nonchalantly took the newspaper. But when he had only unfolded it halfway, his pupils suddenly constricted, and his drunkenness instantly vanished.
"WORORORORORO!!!"
He shot to his feet, and his wild laughter shook the entire castle. "That brat is still alive?! What a pleasant surprise! And he's made a fool of Marine Headquarters again… this is a double celebration, isn't it?! Hey, Queen! What are you standing there for?! Go and prepare a feast! I'm going to have a good drink!"
So this is his reaction?
Tsk.
Last time, he was so enraged by Shane that he had immediately jumped out of the castle and chased him for thousands of miles.
And this time, he's so happy that Shane is still alive that he wants to throw a party to celebrate?
"..." Queen shook his head.
That's just Boss Kaido for you!
His focus is always different from everyone else's. In any case, he was more concerned with the change in his bounty.
"World's Greatest Swordsman, with a bounty of 1.98 billion Berries…"
What a terrifying title.
And the bounty is much higher than his and King's. The Whitebeard and Charlotte families don't seem to have any officers with a bounty of that level either.
Queen couldn't help but stroke his thick chin.
In that case, putting aside the old geezers who are hiding in the shadows and have been gradually forgotten by the era, this kid's bounty, in the entire New World, is probably second only to the Four Emperors themselves.
Doesn't that mean…
…that this guy is now, in name and in fact, the number one under the Four Emperors?
…
On an unnamed island in a certain sea.
A group of seemingly inconspicuous pirates were searching the island, and on a high ground, two rookie apprentices with bounties of 100 million were on watch.
And on a large rock, a red-haired, middle-aged figure was reading a newspaper with great interest.
"The World's Greatest Swordsman? It seems that guy has really pissed off those geezers at Marine Headquarters. They've even resorted to such a low blow!"
Shanks laughed heartily. "I wonder what Mihawk's reaction will be when he sees this!"
He had been thoroughly enjoying this report, especially the close-up of Kizaru's twisted face on the cover, which had made him laugh so hard he had almost passed out.
As for Mr. Rayleigh…
Why would he fight that kid?
That's strange. Is he also betting something on the new era?
Shanks scratched his head and subconsciously glanced at his shoulder.
…
Totto Land, Whole Cake Island.
"MAMAMAMAMA!!!"
The obese figure on the giant sofa threw the newspaper aside. "Just do as I say, Katakuri! An outstanding young talent like this, how can we not try to win him over!"
"Mamamama, speaking of which, this kid's not bad looking. It makes me want to go myself…"
"Katakuri, help me think. Which of my precious daughters would be a good match for that kid? Don't mention the really ugly ones. They'll just bring shame to the family and will definitely be rejected!"
"Hmm… Custard? She's a little too old, but some young men like older women, don't they? She can be a candidate…"
"Smoothie is not bad either. That girl is always so willful. Go and try to persuade her. See if she's willing to marry him."
The obese figure on top was in high spirits, muttering to herself.
And below, Katakuri's eyes narrowed slightly, and he was silent.
Using his sisters as tools for a political marriage again…
This is never-ending. It's so annoying.
But, unlike many of the other ridiculous pairings, he actually didn't want to object this time.
That guy's strength was truly impressive, and he had the ability to change the landscape of the New World.
And besides, a man who would take his two sisters with him and protect them was trustworthy.
"I will go and talk to Smoothie, Mama. Don't worry," he finally said with a nod, his voice low.
"That's my good Katakuri! MAMAMAMAMA!!!"
…
Shimotsuki Village.
On the highest peak of the island, two young figures were sitting on the grass, surrounded by scattered newspapers.
"It's only been a little over six months…"
The green-haired young man gritted his teeth, his fists clenched, his eyes full of unwillingness. "That girl, Kuina, she can already fight a Marine Admiral to a standstill? In just a little over six months, she's already so famous! I'm so jealous of her!"
"Dammit! Back at the dojo, I was able to hold my own against her, and now the gap is so big! Waaah! I'm so pissed off!"
He kicked a nearby tree trunk in frustration, and the tree snapped in two.
"An Admiral candidate, you idiot moss-head! And you lost to her over five thousand times! How is that 'holding your own'?!" Sanji said, wiping his sword with a look of contempt.
"Shut up, you curly-browed bastard! I'll kick you to death!"
"With your three-legged-cat kicks? Can you even do it? My one-sword style is not to be trifled with!"
The two of them began to argue again. They both practiced swordsmanship and leg techniques, and they were used to belittling each other's skills.
But in reality, Zoro mainly used a two-sword style, and Sanji also specialized in leg techniques.
As they argued, they began to fight. By the time the sun was setting, they were both panting, collapsed on the ground.
"Hey, Zoro," Sanji said, looking out at the horizon under the setting sun.
"Hmm?"
"Let's set sail early. Next year, after the snow has stopped."
"Huh?" Zoro was taken aback and turned to look at Sanji. "Are you serious?"
"Of course! Don't you want to catch up to Boss Shane?"
Sanji crumpled the newspaper into a ball and threw it into the sea. "Forget Kuina, even Nami and Nojiko are getting further and further ahead of us! They could probably beat us with one punch! How can we stand for that!"
"Do what you want, but I'm not waiting until I'm an adult to set sail! By then, we might not even be able to see their backs!"
Zoro was silent for a moment, and then a wide, reckless grin spread across his face. "That's what I'm talking about!"
"Then we'll set sail at the beginning of next year! We'll form our own pirate crew and go to the Grand Line, to the New World!"
"I'll let the whole world know—"
"—that the future world's greatest swordsman will be me, Roronoa Zoro… ouch, that hurts! You curly-browed bastard, what did you hit me for?!"
"What pirate crew?! Are you going to be one of those guys who pillages and murders?! It should be an adventure group!"
"Oh, right…"
…
Fish-Man Island.
Located directly below the Holy Land, Mary Geoise, at a depth of ten thousand meters.
If you didn't go over the Red Line, but chose to get your ship coated and dive into the New World, then this island was a necessary stop.
At a depth of about eight or nine thousand meters, The Curtain Call, which had been sailing for several days, was continuing its descent.
The bubble coating around the ship was slightly deformed by the pressure of the deep sea, but it was still holding strong.
"Wow! Is that Fish-Man Island?! It's so beautiful!"
Nami leaned over the ship's railing, her eyes shining as she looked at the dream-like island, which was enclosed in a massive, double-layered bubble.
At this depth, there should have been no light.
But on Fish-Man Island, there was a massive Sunlight Tree, Eve, which could absorb sunlight from the top of the tree and then transport it down the trunk, bringing the collected light and air to the roots.
This gave Fish-Man Island a complete, self-sustaining ecosystem.
There was a day-and-night cycle, a pleasant temperature, and even ordinary humans could live here all year round.
At this moment, besides the Sunlight Tree, Eve, there were also countless glowing corals and deep-sea fish swimming around the beach, making the entire bubble look like a dream.
The girls were all gathered together, mesmerized.
Shane was sitting with his legs crossed in the open-air dojo on the second floor, looking at the scene and playing with a purple Devil Fruit.
It had a bunch of snail-like spiral patterns on its surface and looked a bit like a pineapple.
This Devil Fruit was, of course, the one he had found at the auction house, the one that the detector had picked up.
It had been rolling under the auctioneer's stage, hidden from view.
If not for the fact that one of the slaves had been a very short dwarf, and Shane had had to crouch down to unlock his explosive collar, he would have never found it.
You could say…
…good deeds are rewarded.
Or maybe it wasn't such a good reward after all?
Shane looked at Robin. At first, he had thought that this fruit was the extremely rare Logia-type, Dark-Dark Fruit.
But after asking the walking encyclopedia, he had learned that it was actually a Zoan-type fruit that rarely appeared in history—the Fly-Fly Fruit.
Its pattern was slightly different from the Dark-Dark Fruit, but the difference was very small, and it was difficult for an ordinary person to tell them apart.
Turn into a fly…
A red-head or a green-head? A maggot or an adult?
It's disgusting either way. No wonder this fruit isn't even in the Devil Fruit encyclopedia and has no presence in history.
Anyone who ate this fruit would probably be too ashamed to reveal their ability.
"What's the use of this…"
Shane shook his head and was about to put the Devil Fruit away when he suddenly heard Smoker's voice. "Hey, boss, look over there. The flag on that ship… it looks like Whitebeard's, doesn't it?"
☆☆☆
-> SUPPORT ME WITH POWER STONE
-> FOR EVERY 200 PS = BOUNS CHAPTER
☆☆☆
-> 20 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Inkshaper
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you